Exercising horse



April k7 1942.y M. J.. BURK EXERCISING HORSE Filed June 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOI; Mmes lH/v BURKE BYv ATTORNEY.

M. J. BURKE EXERCISING HORSE Filed June l2, 1940 April 7, '1942.

2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. MM5 zJH/ v uRKE ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITE D i e sini` e s raras-r a or ric E;

2,278,861 Exsacrsme y.Hoest Myles John Burke, .Iersey'fli'tyg2 N. J.

Application June 12, 1940, Serial No. 340,001

2 Claims.

This invention relates .to new and .useful viinprovements in an exercising horse.

The invention .proposes an exercising horse which is. characterizedi by .a narrow frame resembling the. frame of aA-` bicycle and provided with a seat :and handle bars, and. a ymechanism for oscillating and moving theseat and. handle bars in a certain path for exercising a person.

The invention proposes to .so arrange-the seat and handle bars. that.. the exercising horse'may be used in different ways to exercise. different muscles of the body. It is proposed that the exercising. horse be riddenas a motorcycle, as a horse with the legs'straddling` theseat, or with thejlegs .to oneV side of the seat only. Furthermore, it is proposed. that.;.the parts be so ar.- ranged that a person may stand. onl the; ground and wrestle with moving parts vof theahorse for exercising purposes.-

Still further the'inyention proposes thatthe seat be pivotally. mounted and. thatfa novel mechanism be provided, for..v oscillating: the-seat. on its pivot. It is alsoproposed. that this mech-- ansm be connected with. the yhandle bars for.

oscillating same.

The. invention also contemplates an `arrangement whereby the speedV of oscillation of the seat and handle bars may bey controlled.

An arrangement is also proposed` whereby the amplitudeof oscillation ofthe parts mentioned'.

in the previous paragraph may be controlled.y

Another object of the invention resides inthe provision .of a massaging element arranged tol be reciprocated `by the mechanismwhich oscillates the seat and handle bars. z

For further.: comprehension .I'ofz the invention,A and of the objects .and advantages thereof, reference .willf be had: to. the. following description. and accompanying drawings,` and Fto. the yappended claims in whichjthe variousznovel-features:of: the l invention are` moreiparticularly.y set `forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material partof this disclosure Fig. 1 is a sidevelevational .viewzof an exercis ing. horse constructed in yaccordance with this;

invention.

Fig. 2 is averticahsectional v iew taken'on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1*.

Fig. 3 is afragmentary vertical sectional view- The frame 2.

IllA is similar to a bicycle frame. It isconstructed tions connected together as a unit. A seat I4 is centrally transversely; pivotally mounted by a pintle I5 on acentral area of the frame vl0 so that when one sits o'n the seat the legs are at the sides of they frame. The seat I4 has a hollowed out bottomwall I4a from which a stud I1 p'rojects. The pintle I5 engages through this stud and through a stationarysupport rod I8 which is xedly mounted on the frame I0. The arrangement-.is such that the front and back ends of the seat `I4 may pivotyupwards and downwards about the pivot-I5.

A bar 'I9 is centrally transversely pivotally mounted by a pintle 20 on the frame I0 beneath the seat I4. More specifically," the pintle 20 is supported by a bracket 2I which is mountedl on a portion ofthe framev I- 0. 'The bar vI9 extends forwards and rearwards along the longitudinal lengthof the seat I4. The bar lI9 isformed from two bar sections IBa and ISIb which are separate from. each other and which extend along the sides of the4 frame I0, but which function as a unit. The pivot pintle 20 passes ,through each of the bar sections.

A front link 22 is connected between the front of thebar I9 and the front of the'seat I4. This front. link is also formed from two front link sections-22a and 22D which extend along the sides of the frame I0. At their lower ends thesefront link sections 22a and 22b are pivotally connected by a pintle 23 to thefront ends of the bar sections I9a and |912, respectively. The'upper ends of the front link .sectionsf22a and 22h are connected by a pintle 24 to lugs 25 mounted on the bottomof theseat I4.

A rear link 26 is connected between the rear of the bar I9 and the rear of theseatl4`. This rear linkI also comprises a pair of rear link sections 26a and 2Gb which are pivotally connected by a pintle 21 with the rear ends of the bar sectionsl I9a and I9b. The rear link. sections 26a and l2519 are pivotally connected at their upper ends by a pintle 28 mounted on a bracket 29 mounted on the bottomof the seat I4.

, A speed controlled motordriven. crank 30 is mounted on the base II. This crank includes a stationary casing 3| which is iixedly mounted on a bottom portion of the frame I0 and which rotatively supports the crank 30. One end of the crank 30 projects from the casing 3l and is provided with a plain wheel4 32 over which a belt 33 engages. The ybelt 33 extends overa pulley 34 of a manually controllable transmission .35. The

transmission 35 has a driven wheel 36. This wheel 36 is engaged by the belt 31 of an electric motor 38. The motor 38 is mounted on the base II. A switch 33 is mounted on the frame I0 to the front of the seat I4 by which the motor 38 may be turned on and off. The electrical connections will not be given in this specification as they form no part of the invention. The transmission 35 is provided with a shift lever 35a connected with linkage 35h which is connected with a control handle 35c which may be set to various positions to vary the drive ratio of the transmission. The handle 35e is pivotally mounted by a pintle 35d. A spring clamp 35e holds the handle 35o in its Various positions. A guard 4|) is engaged over a portion of the belt 33 for safety reasons.

A connector rod 4I is mounted between the crank 36 and the pintle 23. The arrangement is such that when the crank turns the bar I9 will be rocked, and through the medium of the links 22 and 26 the seat I4 will be correspondingly rocked. The transmission controls the speed at 'which the seat I4 rocks.

A pair of pivotally mounted handle bars 42 is arranged on the front end of the frame I6. These handle bars have ar central portion 42a which pass through bearings 43 stationarily mounted on a rod 44 which is mounted on the frame I6. There is a means for operably connecting the crank 30 with the handle bars 42 to oscillate them. This means includes a radially extending arm 45 xedly mounted on the central portion of the handle bars 42 between the bearings 43. A link 46 has a top pintle bolt 41 engaging one of a series of openings 48 formed in the arm 45; The link 46 extends downwards and pivotally connects with anotherV link 49 which in turn is pivotally yconnected with the crank 36. l

The link 46 ris formed from a pair of separate link sections 46a and 46h disposedon opposite sides of the frame I0. The links 46 and 49 are pivotally connected by a pintle bar 50. This pintle bar has end portions 50a extending out- Wards and provided with pedals 5I upon which the feet may rest.v The bolt 41 may be removed and the upper end of the `link 46 shifted forwards or rearwards along the'arm 45 and the bolt may be reconnected with one of the openf ings Y48 to change the movement of the arm 45 and thus the amplitude of its oscillation. As the crank 30 rotates the links 49 and 46 will be reciprocated, which in turn oscillates the radial arm 45 and the handle bars 42.

A reciprocating massaging element is mounted on the front of the frame I0. This massaging element includes a massaging head 55a which is mounted on a rod 56 slidably engaged through a bearing 51. the bearing 51 is pivotally supported by a pintle 58 to the frame I0. The bottom end of the bear ing 51 is supported by several bars 59 having slots 60 through which holding screws 6I pass.

These holding screws are mounted on the frame I 0. The screws 6I may be loosened and then the bearing 51 adjusted so that the rod 56 is vertical or inclined forwards to various vdegrees as desired.

The lower end of the rod 56 supports a pintle I 62 which slidably engages in a slot 63 formed in a lever 64 which is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends by a pintle 65 supported on a bracket 66 mounted on the frameNID. The

rearend of the lever 64 is pivotally mounted QD The upper end of the pintle rod 50. The arrangement is such that when the crank 30 operates, the link 49 will oscillate the lever 64. This causes the rod 56 to reciprocate. A person may lean against the massaging element to receive a massage.

A pair of riding stirrups 68 are removably mounted upon the sides of the seat I4. Each riding stirrup 68 is provided with a catch 69 at its top engageable `with a bracket 10 mounted on the sides of the seat I4. Stationary pedals 12 are mounted on the rear of the frame I0 to facilitate mounting the seat I4.

The operation of the exercising horse is as follows:

Av person sits on the seat I4 and engages his feet in they stirrups 68. Then he turns the switch 39 to start the motor 38 which indirectli7 causes the seat I4 to oscillate forwards and rearwards simulating a bucking broncho.

Another method of using the exercising device would be to rest the `feet on the pedals 5I instead of engaging them inthe stirrups.' The handle bars 42 are alsogripped. This operation varies the muscles which are being exercised. Attention is called to the fact that while thevseat I4 oscillates the pedals 5I will simultaneously move through a certain cycle. The handle bars 42 will also oscillate.

Another way to use the exercising horse would be to sit on'the seat I4 with both legs to one side of the seatV and then set the seat I4 into oscillation. v v

` The exercising horse may also be used by standing near it and gripping the handle bars 42 or seat -I4 4from various positions and wrestling with these parts during the operation of the exercisinghorse.

Many additional exercises `may easily be worked out with this exercising horse'. The massaging element 55 maybe used merely by leaning or engaging portions ofthe body against it. In addition to the various oscillatingl move ments of the exercising' horse yit is possible by means of the transmission. 35 to control the speed of oscillation.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments otmy invention, it is to be understood that Il do not limit myself .to the precise constructions herein'disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a long bearing pivotallymounted on said frame and adapted to slidably and non-pivotally support a rod of a massaging element, a rod for a massaging element slidably and non-pivotally mounted through said bearing, an oscillating lever having a slot extending in a direction which is approximately at right angles to said rod and radially of its point of oscillation, a pintle mounted on said rod and engaging in said slot by which oscillations of said lever will reciprocate said rod, whereby said bearing may be moved to various pivotally xed positions to move said pintle along said slot while the direction of sliding of said rod is changed.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, a long bearing pivotally mounted on said frame and adapted to slidably' and nonpivotally"sup port a rod of a massaging element, a rod for a massaging elementA slidably and non-pivotally tion of sliding of said rod is changed, and means for holding said bearing in various pivotally xed positions comprising a strip pivotally connected with said bearing and having a slot, and a fastening screw mounted on said frame and passing through said slot for clamping said strip in various positions.

MYLES JOHN BURKE. 

